The fighters traded low kicks early before some clinch fighting. Couture got the better of it with some solid knees to the legs and head. After resetting, Heun stood flatfooted in the center of the cage and ate punches, including one that opened a big facial cut near his left eye. Heun mixed in some takedown attempts, but Couture avoided damage and got back to his feet to win the round.

Couture again had the striking edge in the second. Heun scored a slam-takedown two minutes into the round, but Couture was active off his back with elbows and submission attempts. During scrambles, both fighters worked chokes but failed to secure anything before the closely contested round ended.

In the final frame, Couture’s superior conditioning was evident, and he easily beat Heun to the punch before forcing the fight to the mat. Couture worked to dominant top positions, including a back mount that allowed him to tee off with the punches and elbows that set up the TKO stoppage.

The stoppage came at the 2:52 mark of the final round.

Couture (4-1 MMA, 4-1 SF), who’s spent his entire pro career with Strikeforce, picks up his first knockout win. Heun (9-5 MMA, 1-3 SF), meanwhile, has lost three of his past four.

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